Our final lady appears in the Romantic Novelists' Association special. But does that mean we're done? Oh no...

What do rifle-toting ex-beefcake Charlton Heston and Canada's Prince Valium, Leonard Cohen have in common? They nestle among the creative influences of Medieval novelist, Elizabeth Chadwick.

While historical adventures are fairly left-of-centre within the Romantic Novelists' Association, that hasn't stopped several of her books, including Lords of the White Castle, The Winter Mantle and The Falcons of Montabard, from becoming shortlisted for coveted Romantic Novel of the Year awards.

Delightfully, Elizabeth cites other pop culture staples - The Lord of the Rings movies, Foofighters, Meat Loaf - as inspiration, no doubt a neccessary mental soundtrack to fuel her narrative. This dynamism coupled with accurate historical detail gives Elizabeth's work a distinctive flavour, possibly the reason why she was chosen to write the novelisation of that Richard Gere movie, First Knight.

With 13 novels under her chemise, Elizabeth has cemented a reputation as one of the leading authors of Medieval fiction. So grab your wastel bread and flagon of wine, and listen ye well.

Great Writing: What inspires you to write?

Elizabeth Chadwick: Fascinating, forgotten stories from history that I know a modern audience will appreciate if they get the chance.  For example I'm writing about William Marshal at the moment, a charismatic personality in his day and one of England's greatest Medieval men. Many people will ask 'William who?' My aim is to inspire them as much as I've been inspired and if the enjoy my retelling of his story to go and find out more for themselves. I am also inspired to write by looking at archaeological finds from the past. Faced with an old cooking pot, I want to know who made it, who used it. What are the stories contained behind its chipped exterior?

During the actual crafting of the writing, music is a vital inspiration. I use it as an emotional hotwire to my characters' personalities and to help create ambience and atmosphere. Every one of my novels to date has a soundtrack that details the storyline and the emotional journey of my characters. I use artists as diverse as Leonard Cohen, Meat Loaf, Foofighters and Evanessence. It's the lyrics and the feelings that matter. The medium of Film has its place too. My first full length novel, written when I as fifteen, was in response to a children's TV programme called Desert Crusader. Having an adolescent crush on the hero I decided to write my own story and enjoyed it so much that I knew it was what I wanted to do for a career should the opportunity arise. Charlton Heston in The Warlord does it for me too, and so does Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. I want to write fiction with all the rich, textural depth of the way those films look on the screen. 

GW: As a writer of historical fiction, what is it about this genre that appeals?

EC: It's the notion that history is like road with bus stops along it. If I peer back down the road hard enough, I'll see people from earlier periods waving at me, and I want to wave back. It's about the connection, about not forgetting. Admittedly when I first started writing historical fiction as a teenager, it was all about hormones tied in with a love of adventure stories and larger than life heroes in general. However, when I began researching my subject in detail, I became so fascinated that I developed a love of history for its own sake. People often think of our ancestors as less intelligent than us, but that's just not true. It's us as we were then, without the technology, but perhaps more self-reliance!

GW: In writing with historical accuracy, is there a danger of the research getting in the way of the story?

EC: Yes of course there is. Like an iceberg most of the research should be under the surface. However the research needs to be done and done thoroughly because it will inform the way that your characters behave and it will affect your success in portraying a believable picture of the life and times you have chosen. What you have researched should be an integral and organic part of the story, never an information dump. Like good lighting it should enhance, illuminate and create ambience.

GW: What is your writing routine? Are you disciplined in your work? How do you prevent 'real life' from intruding?

EC: I write in varied timeslots throughout the day and into the evening, interspersing those slots with chores such as walking the dog, the housework, shopping and cooking. Despite half an hour here an and hour and a half there, I am extremely disciplined about my writing. At the moment I'm writing a minimum of a thousand words a day, seven days a week. 'Real life' is my writing life. I prevent the mundane from intruding by prioritising. As far as I'm concerned the writing comes first. It's not just my job, it's who I am. During down time from writing when I am doing maintenance tasks, I am able to think about my plots, characters and story lines and prepare for my next writing session.

GW: Tell us the story of how you got your first novel published.

EC: I'd been writing historical fiction since I was 15 and sending to publishers (once I'd learned to type) from about the age of 18. I knew that it was what I wanted to do for a living if I could get a foot in the door and I spent my teens and twenties learning and improving my craft over the course of 8 rejected novels. At the age of 32, I sent a novel called The Wild Hunt to Carole Blake at the Blake Friedmann literary agency in London. She like it and offered to represent me. I wasn't overwhelmed in a screaming 'yippee' sort of way. Rather I walked around in a daze for a couple of days. I'd done it, got my foot on the first rung of a very slippery ladder and I wasn't quite sure how I felt. It's one thing to dream, another to have the dream given to you...and then to realise that the dream of being published is only the beginning. From driving along a country road, you're suddenly catapulted onto a 3 lane motorway where you've either to learn very fast indeed or crash and burn. Thus far I've kept my wheels on the road and not done too badly but you never know what's around the corner.

The Wild Hunt was auctioned for a sum that enabled me to give up my part time day job and concentrate full time on writing. It won a Betty Trask Award, which was presented that year by Prince Charles at Whitehall. I have the photo of me receiveing the award on my website. Since then I have been shortlisted four times for the RNA Major award and was on the longlist this year.

GW: Are there any story themes or styles that appear more commercial or easier to sell to a publisher?

EC: It will depend on the current trends in publishing and the publisher in question. You quite often see a glut of novels emerging along similar lines as 'flavour of the month' For example there was Sarah Waters' Fingersmith, Emma Donohue's Slammerkin, Lous Bayard's Mr Timothy and Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White. All dealt with aspects of prostitution, all were 'literary' and all were set in the 17th-19th centuries. After Gladiator there was a sudden outburst of more ancient history. Philippa Gregory has recently made the Tudors her domain.

Sagas have always sold well, although it is a crowded marketplace. My area is Medieval which can be hard to sell to a publisher (although the readers love it) but it's not impossible and currently it's not overcrowded.

GW: Does writing novels pay the bills? What would you say to someone who intends to quit their job and write full-time?

EC: Some writers are fortunate to earn a full living from their vocation but for the majority it is not a highly paid job. It's also a precarious occupation where sales and a readership have to be built up. Sometimes publishers will grow impatient waiting for the build and the writer can suddenly be without a contract and a real struggle on his/her hands to get back on the ladder. I do write full time and I earn enough to keep my head above water, but there have been precarious times. If your day job pays the mortgage and keeps you in food then keep it going. If you feel you can downsize to part time, then it might be worth the risk. I did that, but only because I had a supportive partner in full time employment. If I had been the main breadwinner, I would have had to find time to write as well as do the day job. The latter's tough, but you'll do it if you're driven enough.

GW: How important is getting an agent?

EC: Some authors manage perfectly well without one, although I would advise joining the Society of Authors for the purposes of having contracts vetted and as a safety net. I wouldn't be without mine though. If you want to make a career out of writing, a good agent is a definite advantage in my opinion. Mine has sold my books all over the world in countries that I would never be able to access - Estonia and Romania for example. She makes excellent deals for me and fights my corner. Publishers are far more likely to take a novel on the recommendation of an agent than they are to accept a novel cold from the writer. With an agent it's already been through one vetting process.

GW: How important is self-publicity?

EC: It is important to show yourself in the marketplace. A good website is a useful tool. Most authors don't get enough marketing backing from their publishers, so they do have to get out there and put the show on the road themselves. I have to say though that there is a balance to be struck. I have been put off reading novels by some authors who are so pushy they become obnoxious with it. It's like having a double glazing salesman thrusting their foot in the door and insisting you buy their product. As a reader I don't want the author telling me how utterly fantastic their book is. I want to hear it from other readers. You can't afford to be a shrinking violet in this industry, but neither can you afford to be a rabid ego-maniac. I am always aware of walking the line between promoting myself and my novels and over-promoting. The art of blowing one's own trumpet whilst at the same time appearing modest is a very useful skill to cultivate.

GW: What are your do's and don'ts in writing historical fiction?

EC: Not in any particular order:

1. Don't dump information on the reader. Feed it in gradually and make it as much a part of the character and the story as you can.
2. Do do the research. Even if it doesn't go directly into your book it shows
3. Do, where possible check your facts using more than one source
4. Do read widely in your chosen period using both secondary and original sources.
5. Don't lecture the reader
6. Enjoy your writing. Don't just do it because you think it's popular at the moment.
7. As with writing of any kind, do rewrite and edit. Very few writers manage a polished draft the first time round.
8. If you get the opportunity to talk to re-enactors then do it (or like me, become one yourself! I'm a member of Regia Anglorum www.regia.org) Providing the group is one that does its research, you will be able to glean 3D information you can never obtain from a text book.
9. If you intend writing historical fiction for a living then buy a library of good basic reference books that deal with your period and join societies that you think will be useful and relevant. For example I belong to the Anglo Norman Text Society, which helps me with translations of Old French manuscripts.

GW: What's the most important thing you've learned about writing for publication?

EC: Perseverance. You have got to be prepared for the long haul and for rejection. Don't see rejection as an end, but a beginning and use it as a goad to improve your next piece of work. Once you are published, listen to your agent and editor and if they suggest alterations, see it as knowledge of the market place at work rather than an attempt to rain on your parade.

Elizabeth Chadwick's latest novel, Shadows and Strongholds is due out in paperback on August 4th. For more information on other work, visit her website.

For more information about the Romantic Novelists' Association, and for details of upcoming events (including the Commercial Women's Fiction workshop in October) visit the RNA website.